Your Money: May 24, 1999

CAFFEINE HIGH If inflation really began to wake up last week, it must have been the smell of Starbucks coffee. Because the country's costliest cup of coffee just got costlier. The company upped prices on everything from decaf lattes to frappuccinos by a dime--7% to 8%. Prices for beans won't change. Starbucks cites rising real estate and labor costs. But with coffee beans trading at their cheapest in two years, at just over $1 per lb., a $1.25 cup of joe may be a bit harder to swallow.

STEALING HOME Sharp entrepreneurs have made a business out of selling information about...